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Thursday 15 January 1987

…Another day off school for me and probably 999 billion other children.Radio Leicester told the glad tidings last night thatschool would be closed “until further notice”!England have regained the Ashes and won the cricket seriesin Australia 2-1.This afternoon I finished reading Live and Let Dieand recorded the theme tune to Anzacs…

The weather was now severe and stubborn enough to warrant a mention in Kenneth Williams’ equally severe and stubborn diaries.

In the entry for 12 January he records how his mother had no cold water in her bathroom due to something being frozen in the pipe. “It is the first time it has happened in 21 years,” he wails. “I have never known such cold as this! It makes the ears sing with pain.”

Then in the entry for today, 15 January, he says: “The news was all about the disastrous results of the Siberian conditions all over the country.” He adds: “One good thing is that lots of birds have died in the freeze.” A trifle barbaric, Ken, though granted it’s not out of character.

Turning to that other foremost chronicler of recent times, in Michael Palin’s diary for 25 years ago today he mentions that LBC had taken to calling the cold snap the “Winter of Misery”.

Well, it wasn’t for me. What Palin went on to write was much more in keeping with my feelings and no doubt those of countless others:

“Plenty of children on Parliament Hill sledging on everything from proper sledges to plastic red and white striped barriers pinched from road-works abandoned during the bad weather. Arrive home glowing.”